An Ikeja High Court on Wednesday ordered the remand of Amarachukwu Asonta, a 27-year-old female officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and her colleague, Adebayo Ajayi, 32, for alleged armed robbery.

Justice Oyindamola gave the order following their not guilty plea to a two-count charge of conspiracy and armed robbery.

The charges were proffered against the duo by the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

According to the director of the Lagos State DPP, Jide Martins, the NSCDC officers committed the offences at 2:20 a.m. on January 30, 2018, along Yaya Abatan Road, Ogba, Lagos.

“The defendants and others who are now at large, while armed with guns and other offensive weapons, hijacked an Iveco container truck with registration number – LSR746XD.

“The truck contained 1,700 cartons of Chelsea and Action Bitters drinks valued at N2.7million, waybills, mobile phones and an unspecified amount of cash,” the DPP said.

Following the arraignment of the NSCDC officers, the DPP requested that the defendants should be remanded at the Correctional Centre.

“My lord, the matter has been on since 2018. The defendants are officers of the NSCDC. They have been evading the court and the court issued a bench warrant for their arrest.

“The first defendant (Asonta) had to be arrested with the aid of the NSCDC,” Mr Martins said.

Following the submission of the DPP, the defence counsel, Dapo Daramola, informed the court that he had filed an application for the bail of the defendants.

Mr Ogala ordered the remand of the defendants at the Correctional Centre and adjourned the case until February 23 for the hearing of the bail application.

(NAN)